They came to a consensus: the EU permanent representatives approved the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions and a new loan to Ukraine

The permanent Representatives of the European Union approved another loan to Ukraine for €90 billion, as well as the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. Hungary and Slovakia had previously prevented the approval of both proposals. According to foreign media reports, one of the key restrictions was excluded from the anti—Russian restrictions - a complete ban on sea transportation of Russian oil. The ambassadors postponed making a decision on this issue until consultations with the G7. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

The long-suffering consensus

The EU ambassadors approved the provision of a loan to Ukraine for €90 billion. They also agreed on the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions. This is reported by the Reuters news agency, referring to the Cypriot presidency.

The new restrictions are expected to contribute to Europe's "efforts" to cut off Russian revenues from energy and military supplies. The next package of restrictions includes measures against the Russian military-industrial complex. The sanctions should affect the production of drones and the shadow fleet. It also provides for a phased ban on the use of Russian vessels powered by liquefied natural gas and icebreakers.

Other restrictions include restrictions on the listing of large Russian oil refineries and securities producers on the stock exchange, including asset freezes and business bans.

At the same time, according to media reports, the EU countries postponed the introduction of a complete ban on the maritime transportation of Russian oil, although this restriction was considered one of the key ones in the new sanctions package. It was assumed that the measures would affect up to 30-40% of Russia's oil exports and would become an alternative to the fuel price ceiling.

It is clarified that the ambassadors postponed making a decision on the implementation of this restriction until further coordination with the G7.

The EU planned to adopt the 20th package of sanctions back in February 2026. However, this could not be done — Hungary and Slovakia blocked the decision.

In March, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the future restrictions, calling them "a crazy ritual and a mockery of common sense." This is how she assessed the plans to impose restrictions against the military, who allegedly participated in the events in Bucha in the Kiev region.

The spokeswoman for the foreign Ministry stressed that everyone involved in the new sanctions is fully aware of their complete isolation from real life.

The next tranche

The adoption of the 20th package of sanctions is not the only issue on which the European Union failed to reach consensus in February. The allocation of a loan of €90 billion to Ukraine was also blocked. This was opposed, in particular, by outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The reason was a pause in the supply of Russian oil through the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also called the resumption of supplies a condition for lifting the veto on new sanctions and loans.

The 90 billion euros promised by the EU are critically important for Ukraine, whose financial system is supported by external investments after 2022. To solve the problem, on April 1, the European Commission proposed that the EU Council allocate €45 billion to Kiev in return for the blocked aid package.

At the same time, the European Union did not lose hope that the difficulties with the loan could be resolved after the parliamentary elections in Hungary. According to the results of the vote held on April 12, the Tisa party, led by Peter Magyar, won. Commenting on the loan situation, he said that the new government would not object to providing funds to Ukraine, but did not intend to finance it.

As a result, on Wednesday, April 22, after a months-long pause, Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia were resumed. This event made it possible to approve the allocation of money to Ukraine.

At the same time, Robert Fico expects that this step may have negative consequences. Earlier, he expressed concerns that transit through Druzhba could be stopped again after the loan was unblocked.

"I don't know what we will do in such a situation, but we must be prepared in case of such a development," urged the Prime Minister of Slovakia.

What happened before

The previous, 19th package of sanctions against Russia was approved on October 23, 2025. He imposed restrictions against 117 vessels belonging to the so-called shadow fleet, which carries oil bypassing the current embargoes. The restrictions also affected Russian banks, large cryptocurrency exchanges, and companies in India and China, which were suspected of helping circumvent previously imposed restrictions.

In addition, the ceiling on Russian oil prices was lowered from $60 to $47.6 per barrel. The sanctions also affected plants intended for bouquets and decorative purposes: trees, flowers, grasses, mosses, foliage and lichens. Their export to Russia was prohibited in any form — fresh, dried, dyed, bleached or otherwise processed.

The package also included diplomatic restrictions — restrictions were imposed on the movement of Russian diplomats within the EU, which, according to the head of EU diplomacy, Kai Kallas, "is designed to prevent destabilizing actions and measures to circumvent the sanctions regime."

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned another package of sanctions. Maria Zakharova, commenting on the introduction of restrictions, warned that "effective tough steps will follow."

In addition, she wrote in her Telegram channel at the time: "We don't know how to live without European moss and lichens. Apparently, in the 20th anniversary package, Brussels will ban migratory birds from transit and crossing the border with groundwater."